January is a great time to start clearing out your clutter. Paper clutter is a big issue for many people now is the time to go through your files and clear them out.

Suze Orman has a list of “Financial Clutter, What to Keep and What to Get Rid Of” to help you decide what to do. Then look at the dates below to plan when and where you are going to take your cleared papers to be shredded for free.

Keep till warranty expires or can no longer return or exchange:

Sales Receipts (Unless needed for tax purposes and then keep for 3 years)

Paycheck Stubs (You can get rid of once you have compared
your W2 & annual social security statement)

Utility Bills (You can throw out after one year, unless
you’re using these as a deduction like a home office—then you need to keep them
for 3 years after you’ve filed that tax return)

Cancelled Checks (Unless needed for tax purposes and then
you need to keep for 3 years)

Credit Card Receipts (Unless needed for tax purposes and then
you need to keep for 3 years)

Bank Statements (Unless needed for tax purposes and then you need to keep for 3 years)

Quarterly Investment Statements (Hold on to until you get your annual statement)

What to keep for 3 years:

Income Tax Returns (Please keep in mind that you can be
audited by the IRS for no reason up to three years after you filed a tax
return. If you omit 25% of your gross income that goes up to 6 years and if you
don’t file a tax return at all, there is no statute of limitations.)

Medical Bills and Cancelled Insurance
Policies

Records of Selling a House (Documentation for Capital Gains Tax)

Records of Selling Stock (Documentation for Capital Gains Tax)

Receipts, Cancelled Checks and other Documents that Support Income or a Deduction on your Tax Return (Keep 3 years from the date the return was filed or 2 years from the date the tax was paid—whichever is later)

Property Tax Records Disputed Bills (Keep the bill until the dispute is resolved)

Home Improvement Records (Hold for at least 3 years after the due date for the tax return that includes the income or loss on the asset when it’s sold)

Keep Forever * These documents should be kept in a very safe place, like a safety deposit box. :

Marriage Licenses

Birth Certificates

Wills

Adoption Papers

Death Certificates

Records of Paid Mortgages

Here is a list of upcoming events in the Austin area to help you let go of unwanted and unneeded documents.

MARCH 02, 2019 10:00 AM10 AM – 12 PM or until the truck is full.

UFCU Shred DayCriminals need very little information to steal identities and garbage cans offer an abundance of information from paperwork. Bring up to two file boxes of paper per household for free, confidential shredding. Commercial high-volume shredders, courtesy of Iron Mountain, will be on-site to shred your records. UFCU Asset Protection team members will also be available to answer your questions about identity theft or other fraud issues. Mark your calendars now!*

With the awareness of identity theft, it is important to carefully dispose of personal records including financial and medical. Austin ARMA, along with Shred-It, are sponsoring the 14th Annual Free Spring Shred Day.

Only dry paper packed in cardboard boxes no larger than 24X24X36” with fitting lids or securely closed box flaps will be accepted. Do not bring plastics of any kind, electronic media, batteries, or three ring binders. All shredded material is recycled.

Please do not arrive before 8am or you will be turned away until the event begins.

Monetary donations will be accepted with proceeds going evenly to the chapter and the Central Texas Food Bank.

For more information, please call and leave a message with the chapter at (512) 37-3347 for a return call.

Myself and some other organizers shared tips with Liz Wolf of Sparefoot Blog

It’s cold and you’re stuck inside anyway — why not declutter your kitchen? It’s also a good time for a quick cleaning and some reorganizing.

“Decluttering is more than just getting rid of stuff; it’s also keeping things in a way that helps keep you from having a cluttered mess again,” said Jennifer Lava, a professional organizer and productivity consultant in Austin, Texas.

“Start small, think big,” added Andrea Brundage, owner of Mesa, Phoenix-based Simple Organized Solutions. “Choose time-appropriate projects. Don’t try to organize your entire kitchen if you only have two hours available. Instead, choose smaller projects that you can start and finish in the time you have available.”

Looking for a jump start? Here are 10 items you can remove from your kitchen now.

Expired food

Old spices and condiments

Outdated notes, pictures and magnets on fridge

Food storage containers with missing lids

Non-kitchen items (purses, backpacks, etc)

Unused cookbooks

Worn out pots and pans

Underutilized appliances

Take out menus from places you don’t like

Excess coffee mugs

Need a little more guidance? Keep reading for additional advice.

Purging the Pantry

“Look through your pantry and refrigerator/freezer for old and expired food,” Lava said. “If you can’t remember when you bought it, let it go. Leftovers are only good for a week. Many of us have condiments and spices that are old and have lost their flavor.”

“Go through all of your canned foods and the extraction dates will be shocking,” said Danielle Wurth, owner of Wurth Organizing in Scottsdale, AZ. Most folks’ pantries, she said, have items that expired five to seven years ago.

While you are at it, throw out stained plastic containers or ones you can’t find matching lids. Clear old notes, magnets and pictures off of the refrigerator that no longer hold meaning or are tattered, Lava added.

Make a list of what you need to replace, if anything, added Julie Naylon, owner of No Wire Hangers in Los Angeles.

Clearing the Counters

First things first, get rid of anything that doesn’t belong in the kitchen.

“If things just were set down on the counter on their way somewhere else, take it to the place it really belongs,” Lava said. That goes for your purse, kids’ backpacks, magazines, etc.

“Throw out old takeout menus,” Lava said. “Then organize the ones you’re keeping into folders or binders. Have a folder in a desktop organizer for each family member as central place for school notes and other important information. “

Assess Appliances

Next go after any appliances you don’t use on a regular basis.

“If you haven’t used a utensil or kitchen appliance in the past year, chances are you won’t,” Brundage said.

Donate those unused items or give them away to people you know could use them. Go through your pot and pan sets, too.

Keep it Organized

“Once you’ve gotten rid of the expired, gross, unused, duplicate things, it’s time to consider what you’re keeping and how you will store it,” Lava said.

Put items back in order of importance, Naylon added.

“Start with silverware and everyday glasses and plates,” she said. “Try to put them close to the dishwasher for easy unloading.”

Also, group food on your pantry shelf that go together.

“If you like making spaghetti, keep the pasta and sauce together on the shelf,” Lava said.

Make sure you have the right kind of storage. Lava suggested items like baskets, risers, turn-tables and drawer organizers.

“To help even more, label the containers and baskets, so everyone in the house knows where to put things, and you don’t have to think too hard about where they go either,” Lava added.Advertisement

Other organizers and I shared tips with Paige Smith of Sparefoot Blog.

When you’re a college student, moving home for the summer can be a major relief from the pressures of school. But a temporary move can also present logistical challenges when it comes to organizing and storing your belongings, especially if you attend school across the country.

The good news is that a little preparation goes a long way. Jennifer Lava, professional organizer and productivity consultant, says sorting and organizing your stuff at the start of summer makes the transition to fall semester that much easier.

Certified professional organizer Ellen Delap agrees: “It will save you time and money in the end,” she says. Here are six steps to decluttering, organizing, and storing your stuff over summer.

1. Consider Your Future Housing Situation.

Before you go on a decluttering spree and potentially discard something you might need, it’s a good idea to square away the details of your accommodations for fall semester. Are you living in the same location, moving from a dorm to an apartment, or changing roommates?

These different factors will affect what you decide to get rid of and keep, as well as where you’ll store your things. Once you nail down the details and discuss plans with your roommates, make two lists: “Save” and “Donate.” The first list should include any household necessities you need for next year, like your desk or dishes. The other should list items you won’t need for next year, either because you no longer want them, you don’t have space for them, or your roommates already agreed to bring them.

2. Declutter.

After you set aside the main things you need for next year, start decluttering your closet, bathroom, and kitchen.

“There is no sense in moving or storing items you don’t need, use, or love,” Lava says.

Paring down your belongings will help streamline the packing, organizing, and unpacking processes.

“The simplest place to start is get rid of the trash first,” Lava says. “If it is broken, damaged, torn, or too old, let it go.”

From there, Lava recommends grouping similar items together and sorting through them one by one. Get rid of anything you don’t love or haven’t used in a year, including clothes, shoes, toiletries, textbooks, school supplies, and decor.

3. Sell or Donate What You Don’t Want

Gather up everything that didn’t make it into your “keep” pile, then set aside whatever is still in decent condition. If you want to sell some of your pricier possessions like furniture, appliances, sports gear, or textbooks, considering posting on your university Facebook group. For everything else, Delap recommends donating to local organizations or shelters.

Once you do this, you’ll be able to see exactly what you need — and don’t need — for the summer. Set aside only what you plan to use on a regular basis when you’re home — think: warm-weather clothes, tech devices, and toiletries — then pack those necessities into one or two suitcases. Everything you don’t need access to for the summer months, like textbooks and winter coats, can go into a series of labeled boxes.

5. Use Lists And Labels.

To stay organized over the summer and set yourself up for success come fall, take an inventory of everything you have before you pack it.

“Don’t trust your memory,” Lava says. “Number your boxes and make a general list of what is in each one,” she adds.

Make sure you keep a copy of the list on your phone or computer so you have access to it over the summer. When you’re figuring out what items you need to purchase for the new school year, it’ll serve as a handy guide and reminder of what you already own.

6. Set Up A Storage Unit.

Instead of carting home all your belongings just for the summer (and trying to clear space for them in a corner of the garage), Delap recommends using a local storage service. It’s a great option to safely house everything you don’t immediately need for the summer, like furniture, appliances, dishes, winter clothes, and sports gear.

Here’s the catch, though: you still have to declutter and organize your stuff before you store it. Otherwise, your storage unit will turn into purgatory for all the items you don’t know what to do with, but can’t bear to get rid of.

To keep yourself in check, Delap says, “Put in storage only what you will use next year.”